Playing With Your Mind
by doctor-ten
Summary: Reid is put on undercover alone, something he's never done before. He's sent after the most dangerous criminal bosses of all times in hopes to bring the man to trust him and fall for him, then get the right evidence to bring him in. But then Reid finds himself falling for the man, too. Will he do the right thing or will he become the next target? (Reid/Hotch, UnSub!Hotch, AU)


_**Story Info**_

**Title: **Playing With Your Mind

**Fandom: **Criminal Minds

**Rating: **M

**Warnings: **Language, angst, sexual content, slash, UnSub!Hotch, violence, death, blood, murder, drugs, prostitution, half-AU

**Pairings: **Reid/Hotch, Morgan/Garcia

**Summary: **SSA Dr. Reid is put on an undercover assignment alone, something he's never one before. But those at the BAU know he's the only one that could get under the suspect's skin. The one they're after is Aaron Hotchner, a local crime lord that has managed to evade the cops for most of his career. With the case at a stand-still and no other options, Reid is sent in to become trusted by Hotch. Friends. Lovers. Spencer is to gain his trust and get what they need and get out. But imagine his surprise when he finds himself falling for the criminal and wanting to run from those at the FBI that want him to bring Aaron in. Will Reid do the right thing and bring Hotchner down or will he listen to his heart and become the next person the BAU is hunting?

.x.x.x.x.

_**Chapter Info**_

**Title: **Cold

**Number: **1/?

**Spoilers: **None

**Warnings: **Language

**Author's Note: **Greeting's all! This is my first fic for this fandom so I hope you enjoy. :) Yes this is a "Hotch as UnSub" AU, but the rest of the characters are in their same jobs. Save for Gideon who will basically be in Hotch's position on the team. Just a couple things, pardon me if I don't get chapters out as quick as I or you would like, I do work 5 days a week, 40 hours so sometimes it's just too much to sit down everyday and write. However on my weekends I try to write so I'll do what I can! Second thing is the "Story Info" will just be at the beginning of this chapter. "Chapter Info" will be on every chapter and, obviously, will change. So the beginnings won't quite be so long every time so we can get right to the good stuff! Thank you ahead of time if you read this, I really appreciate it! In saying that, I'd love some reviews! :)

* * *

Supervisory Special Agent Doctor Spencer Reid wasn't what you would call the "brawn" of the operation. Spencer Reid was a genius and there was nobody in the world that would argue against that fact. Eidetic memory, able to read roughly twenty thousand words per minute, graduated high school at the age of twelve, three masters degrees, three bachelors degrees, and an IQ of one hundred and eighty-seven. There was nobody on Earth that could outsmart the doctor and nobody that really tried. Sure, UnSubs thought they could, but Reid always won out. It was his job, it was what he was good at.

So imagine his frustration when a fifteen-year long case about a local crime lord came to a complete halt with absolutely no clear reason as to why. Reid knew they had a good lead on him, he's the one that did the investigating himself. He remembered every little detail they had gone over and knew that there was nothing they missed, nothing that needed to be looked at over and over again because it already had been. It was all right there in front of them, in black and white, but there was absolutely nothing that they could pick out that could tie the suspect to the crimes.

Reid threw the papers on the table and sat back. He kind of hunched over, his eyes sweeping over all the papers littered over the table, his fingers gripping his shaggy hair tightly. He was tired and frustrated and the only thing of comfort was knowing the rest of his team was just in as bad of shape as him. Worse, even, because a couple of the members had been working on the case since he was in college.

Their unit chief, Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon, sat across from Spencer. Reading glasses were perched on his nose and his usually impeccable attire was obviously a day or two old. He had been drinking coffee from the same mug for at least a day and he looked so wired that he wouldn't sleep for a week, not that they had time to really do that. He had the same folder on his lap that he had for about an hour straight and Reid knew he hadn't even turned the page. He had been working on the case the longest and he was taking their stall the hardest.

Beside him was Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi. He had been in the BAU as long as Gideon. As the two founding members, each had left for their own personal reasons and each had found their way back again. Rossi had left the BAU shortly after this case came across Gideon's desk, but he was back and more determined then ever to find the son of a bitch and put him away. He hated the criminals that seemed to outsmart them; though they all knew that would only be short lived.

Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan and Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss were on on assignment, talking to criminals low on the totem pole that seemed to want to bring the suspect in as much as the FBI did, for some reason. Of course Reid knew they had to be a little grateful for their testimonies; the man they were hunting would surely find out about the rats out on his streets and have them killed within the week, their bodies becoming evidence in their endless pile of evidence that added up with no final, solid solution.

Only Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia and Media Liaison Jennifer Jareau seemed to have clear heads on their shoulders. They were the newest to this case, even compared to Reid, and they were the fresh eyes of the group. Penelope had three laptops set up in their briefing room where the rest of the team sat, across the table from all of them because of how much her equipment spread out. It was too important for her to be close and for them to know information as soon as she did. Even by phone it wasn't soon enough because the man could seriously disappear in the time it took for her to locate him and then dial the phone. He's done it twice. So they required her to be right there. JJ was pacing, her voice a low pensive mumble as she spoke to contacts that even Prentiss and Morgan couldn't get to because they weren't as low as the people they were seeing and knew that the FBI would capture them if they met in person.

"I've had enough." Gideon threw the folder onto the table finally and sat back, running a hand over his face and throwing his glasses down after the papers. Everybody looked at him, JJ hanging up and they all looked at their unit chief. He looked to be seriously contemplating in his mind, the gears twisting and turning. Being the best profilers in the world, everybody sitting there could see the anger and frustration on his face along with deep, intense hatred, fear, and guilt that dwelled only in his eyes. It had been his job fifteen-years ago to bring this scumbag in, but he couldn't do it. They all knew it wasn't his fault, but Gideon didn't believe them and they gave up trying to convince him.

"JJ, call Morgan and Prentiss and get them back here. Penelope, keep working. Everybody else, take a break. When the others get back, we're having a meeting. We need to do something else. Something...something _different _that we haven't already thought of. We'll discuss it." Rossi saw the way his boss wasn't quite ready yet to handle any huge decisions and took over for him. Nobody argued, though, and Garcia kept typing away on the keys without a word. The woman knew how important her job was. Reid slowly got up and followed his partners out of the room and wordlessly left to trail into the man's rest room. He did his business and splashed cold water on his face. He stared at himself in the mirror, his eyes moving over his own face as if he were scrutinizing himself. He was disappointed in his own lack of clear thinking and understanding in this criminal. It should've been a run of the mill gang leader take-down, but nothing about this was ordinary. The man didn't want to be caught and he was damn good at staying hidden.

_We'll just have to fix that, _Reid thought. He patted his face dry followed by his hands before he trailed out of the bathroom. He made his way into the break room where JJ was standing. She smiled slightly at her younger team member and stepped aside so he could grab a cup of lukewarm coffee. "I wonder if Rossi has an idea," Reid murmured, more to himself than JJ.

The woman shrugged and looked at him over the rim of her coffee mug. "Chances are he's as lost as us. But with all of us there, we'll figure something out. We have to or we'll be completely screwed."

Reid snorted softly. "Because we aren't already?"

JJ laughed slightly and finished off her coffee. Reid got his and went to his desk, sitting down to root through the stacks upon stacks of old case files and papers that needed to be sent into Gideon and Strauss (BAU Section Chief Erin Strauss, i.e. Gideon's boss). He found some documents that belonged to their current case and despite what Rossi said, he started to read through them. He was interrupted as Morgan and Prentiss walked through the door about half an hour later, both silent. Rossi appeared out of nowhere and directed them back into the briefing room.

The team all sat around the table with Garcia clicking away on her computer and Rossi and Gideon taking the front by the screen. Gideon leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, obviously overwhelmed and letting Rossi take the reigns on this one. "Undercover," he stated simply, not other explanation, but it wasn't needed. The team looked at each other, Garcia pausing and staring around in horror. One of them would be leaving to enter a world of drugs, lies, and murder to catch this guy and there was a fifty fifty chance that they themselves would be killed. Morgan silently and discreetly picked up his hand and placed it on Garcia's that rested on the table, his fingers soothing over her agitated ones. It was no secret of their relationship, but the did everything in their power not to make it a huge deal while in the FBI building. But sometimes comfort was just needed.

Now that they knew what they would be doing, who would be doing it would be a bigger issue. They all looked at each other, questions in their eyes, and hoped to God and any other deity out there that their profile was right. Otherwise they were sending one of their own right into the hands of one of the most prolific, dangerous men of all time.


End file.
